Potato exports have been affected by the cold spell in the winter, but the figures are still good, said Parliamentary Secretary responsible for farming and fisheries Dr Francis Agius yesterday.

He said the export season would continue as long as the packhouses continued to receive orders from abroad. This was possible because Malta was a member of the EU and therefore no quotas on exports applied.

Local potatoes are being exported to Holland, Germany, Denmark, the UK and Switzerland, he said during a visit to the packhouse in Ta’ Qali.

Dr Agius said that local produce was doing well in foreign supermarkets because the quality had improved. He said the government and the Dutch importer had paid for an advertising campaign to boost the sale of Maltese potatoes.